Khalif Battle couldn’t believe how open he was.
He’d just hit step-back and catch-and-shoot 3-pointers on Gonzaga’s previous two possessions, yet here he was alone in the corner with no defender within 15 feet of him after Baylor lost him in transition.
The 3-pointer that Battle celebrated with a smile and a shoulder shimmy epitomized a Gonzaga victory that turned out to be a lot easier than expected. The Zags stormed to their largest-ever victory over a top-10 opponent, a 101-63 season-opening shellacking of eighth-ranked Baylor on Monday night at Spokane Arena.
Gonzaga’s lead was already double digits midway through the first half and 19 by halftime.